Presentation by Donka Kalcheva, BlueLink Information Network, and Dessislava Koleva, Centre for Inclusive Education at TRIALOGs central training in Brno (Czech Republic) on February 19 and 20, 2008.

1. ODA BULGARIA
and civil society involvement
Dessislava Koleva – Centre for Inclusive Education
Donka Kalcheva – BlueLink Information Network

2. Official aid and policy
• By unofficial accounts of the Foreign Office, aid-to development in
the 2005-2006 period amounts to roughly 0.008% country’s GNI
• Interdepartmental Council for Bulgaria’s Participation in the
International aid to Development. Headed by the Deputy PM and
the Foreign Minister
• Eradication of poverty is main policy priority
• Priority countries – Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Macedonia, Serbia,
Angola
• ODA policy recognizes the role of civil society and business sector
• ODA mentions the need of increase of social concern and
education

3. Official numbers
2005 in mln USD
Bilateral Official Development -1,33 of which:
Project and programme aid - 1,20
Emergency and distress relief - 0,13
Multilateral Official Development Assistance - 0,67 of
which:
Grants and capital subscriptions, total 0,67
UN agencies 0,64
Regional development banks 0,01
Montreal Protocol 0,02

4. Forecasted ODA mln BGN
2007 2008 2009
Payments to international
organizations 1,079 1,133 1,190
620,0 695,0 731,0
Payments to EU budget 0 0 0
Payments to EDevFund 2,5 4,5
Bilateral aid 0 28 44
Multilateral aid 100 72 56

5. Society’s opinion
• Poverty and Childbirth and infant mortality
shall be priority – with more than 50% of
respondents answers
• Weak awareness and scepticism – less than
30% aware of commitments, more than 50%
support in principle, only 22% believe aid improves
life in reality, 2% thing aid shall be monetary
• People see Bulgaria more as a developing
countries

6. Priorities and Approaches
• An increased volume of information to be disseminated in Bulgaria on the
problems encountered by developing countries and transition economies, so that
Bulgarian citizens may truly empathize with people who are needier than
themselves.
• Further info to be provided on the possible forms of aidto- development:
economic, financial and others, so that Bulgarians may view them not merely as
tokens of solidarity, but also as potential benefits for this country.
• Popularization of the MDGs, and particularly of the ones thought to be
achievable in the next decade (up to the year 2015)
• Extensive information on the European Commission’s aid-to-development policy
and on the specific contribution, of individual governments within the EU, to its
implementation.
• Informing society clearly and comprehensively which national institutions are/ will
be involved in the aid-to development policy-making and implementation, and in
what ways.

7. NGDO activities 2008
33 NGDO platform members - partnerships both on
NGO level and with government bodies for
ensuring effective participation of NG(D)Os in the
ODA policy development.
2008 – focus on straightening platform, raising
awareness (campaigns, events), fair trade
promotion, joint project proposals, monitoring and
lobbying activities